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Sunday, Nov 8, 2009
My friend, a professional singer, and several other friends which included a voice teacher at a community college, attended Mamma Mia on Friday, July 18. She said:
" WE LOVED IT!!!! I didn't really know story line and had never seen Broadway play.... it was so fun!... Meryl Streep is just incredible, singing, dancing, stunts, so limber and in great shape.... it was a hoot... the scenery in Greece is breathtaking!...the waters, the mountains and architecture... there's this church at the top of a mountain that had a lighted pathway from town all the way up the mountain to the peak where this darling church was sitting...one of the scenes where daughter's wedding (Sophie) was to take place with surprising events......it was exhilarating!....anyway, hope you get to see the Movie...it's dazzling... I enjoyed Pierce Brosnan and the girl who played Sophie, the daughter, is absolutely adorable....sweetest thing and an angelic voice..........the scenery alone is breathtaking...music bright and funky and fun...all Abba's music as you may know...."
Gosh what's wrong with a nice break from reality especially this summer! All the rest of you gals can have Pierce Brosnan, just leave Colin Firth for me! I'll watch anything he's in at least once.
Just like the stage show was good silly fun. I've seen both, both have their merits...unlike this review.
I am so sorry some people live their lives to brings others down. I absolutely "Loved" Mamma Mia! The music, the dancing, the absolutely illogical premise and the feeling of joy I felt when it was over. I did not want the feeling to end. I am a male of a certain age, and my partner is a female of a similar age. We attend movies with the intention to enjoy them, and we almost always do. People who choose to dig into the minutia of perfection have my sympathy.
If you want to have a good time and let the world go for awhile, see Mamm Mia!
peace,
st john
You should write for Salon.
To pick apart this effort of some great actresses and actors is ludicrous -- it is a phenomena and lets us all experience the positive ABBA soundtrack with an uplifting story of love lost and found and always there... such as mother and daughter and friendship! It is much more grounded in real life than any reviewer who grew up in the last 20 yrs would understand. It was loads of fun and will probably be as popular as Grease when all is said and done. I am grateful to Tom Hanks and Rita wilson for producing this film so that I could share it with all in my life. It was alot of fun! Lyn Starrs-Zorn
I'm way late for this article, but I just have to post b/c I'm in a full panic that salon will take seriously the petulant and idiotic posters who think that somehow Stephanie didn't get this movie down pat.
I'm talking dead fucking on. Did you people see this thing, or are you just in a tiff b/c you want to like it when you go next weekend? I like ABBA too, folks, but this was insulting.
The contrived "sisterhood" crap--of both the younger and older trios of women in this movie--bring to mind the pablum that is Ya Ya. *shiver*
I'm embarrassed that salon readers are this lacking in taste.
I really didn't like it.
I went because I love Meryl Streep, and yes, I love old ABBA songs, and though I boycotted the stage version, since the idea of other people singing ABBA songs seemed pointless, I trusted Meryl...
It's bad. It's acted as if it's a stage show- hammy, large gestures, no subtlety anywhere. The plot itself doesn't concern me; I wasn't expecting Eugene O'Neill, so the implausibility and humourous chronological inconsistencies didn't bother me. (Brosnan's character was into "flower power" when he was first dating Streep- wouldn't that make her daughter 40, not 20??)
Amanda Seyfried does the best of anyone, and I look forward to seeing her career grow. Mostly, though, my friend and I were astonished that the director didn't dub poor Pierce Brosnan's voice. It's so painfully bad! Like a drunk guy at closing time who starts singing the last song the DJ played before they turned off the music and turned up the lights. You don't go home with that guy, you laugh at him. Sadly, we laughed whenever Pierce sang.
All in all, there was some fun to be had, but not as much as I was hoping for.
Maybe we've all come to expect far too much from movies. I personally don't venture out to a theater all too often anymore, because I don't care for what movies have come to (mostly computer generated special effects and not too much else). There have been some "independent" movies for which I am very grateful; those seem to be less and further in between as of late. In this particular case, come on - it's a silly movie, as it was designed to be. Has no one in the last decade read a review of the stage show? I saw it tonight because my wife wanted to see it. It was, well, silly. I was entertained. I didn't go in expecting Dr. Zhivago, therefore, I wasn't disappointed. Meryl Streep did a fantastic job, and probably enjoyed herself, too. There is so much to be grouchy about in this world. I don't think this movie qualifies, though. No one will make you waste your money on it if you don't approve. Too bad this can't be said of unjustifiable wars, no bid contracts, etc.
I always go to MS movies because I went to college with her,and I have to see who's holding up better. She's doing pretty well, I thought. Anyway, I didn't tell my partner about the bad reviews. I wondered if he would want to leave right way, as soon as the squealing started. But no, we stayed. The theater was jam packed, all people about ABBA's age. The audience really got into it. The women next to me were talkng along with the dialogue, and very touched by the story. I thought it was about 1 part creepy to 2 parts fun. But my partner loved it and wants to see it again. My guess is Stephanie was repulsed by the indignities of undignified age, but it's a hit in my town, so she's wrong again!
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